WH Smith to pull out of Hawick

High Street stationer WH Smith is set to close its Hawick store at the end of the year.

This will be a major body blow to the town’s ailing retail sector.

A WH Smith spokesperson told the Hawick News: “We can confirm that our store in Hawick will be closing at the end of December. We are disappointed to be losing our presence in the town and should a suitable alternative premises become available we would look into this.”

Local councillor Watson McAteer, who has been spearheading High Street regeneration plans, said: “The news that WH Smith plan to close the doors of their High Street shop at the end of December is very bad news for Hawick. This has just made our regeneration ambitions much more difficult.

“As a big name and brand, they are an integral part of the High Street and every effort must be made to see what options are available.”